Posted - 19 Sep 2017 : 8:25:22 PM Our last few swallows left this morning, very quiet and sad in our barn tonight. Safe journey. We can start the big clean up tomorrow!

sab2

Posted - 18 Sep 2017 : 7:30:38 PM Well our swallows have had another very good year, nest appearing in the strangest of places and nearly all of them had two sets of babies. Walls in the stables now covered in swallow poo as well as the horses, most have gone now just spotted a couple in the stables last night. I really miss them when they go

FireLight

Posted - 14 Sep 2017 : 1:29:37 PM We still have our swallows. We have had lots of babies thrown from their nests this year. I have done endless funerals on our muck heap!

Ari

Posted - 13 Sep 2017 : 8:17:27 PM After a slow start swallows have done great this summer. Two lots of young for some. Gone now from Baildon West Yorkshire, safe journey little pals see you soon bringing in Spring

sab2

Posted - 13 Jul 2017 : 10:09:10 PM Good for him, he will love it over there. our cuckoos have gone back now, they left a couple of weeks ago. Swallows are doing well, got some funny nests , one in the chicken hut ,another on a saw handle in the store room. I took a photo of the one on saw handle today but cannot post it , forgotten how we have some House Martins back as well, I was worried when none arrived earlier but some are home

heathermcbreen

Posted - 12 Jul 2017 : 1:06:24 PM Hi Sab, he is loving it.... his boss is really impressed with him and is sponsoring/applying for the 5 yr work visa for him... when the five yrs is up he will be able to apply for full residency !! so he may not come back here. I hate being away from home but I guess I will probably go for a month in 2018 sometime. Got a foal due in 2 weeks so def wont be this year. I guess we should consider it a job well done if our kids are independent enough to be happy moving to the other side of the world.... at least if he marries a kiwi we will have spread the McBreen gene pool a long way! other older son lives in Ecuador and has married an Ecuadorian beauty and has a gorgeous little baby girl. Luckily Im too far away to babysit. xxOn the swallow front we have more nest this year than ever before... no cuckoos though .. boo hoo... x

sab2

Posted - 07 Jun 2017 : 9:43:08 PM Is he enjoying himself out there ? Yes fingers crossed they do not get any earthquakes #128512;

heathermcbreen

Posted - 07 Jun 2017 : 1:26:06 PM My boy is a lot closer to yours now.... working and living in "Clive" Hawkes Bay and also working around Napier and Hastings... no Earthquakes please !!

sab2

Posted - 03 Jun 2017 : 9:56:33 PM Well I can hear little chicks tweeting in the nests, I have had to put out a mud tray a few weeks ago as its so dry up here. The chap that helps in our garden thought I was mad but soon changed his mind when he saw the Swallows using the mud tray. The silliest nest we have this year is in our new chicken shed, we have had to remove some slats at the front so they can fly in and out when I shut the chickens in at night. Very sadly we seem to ha e no House Martins back this year

sab2

Posted - 10 May 2017 : 7:10:33 PM I am sure he will make friends very quickly as from what my son says they are a very friendly bunch.. My OH just goes on his own with his golfing buddies, he's in Portugal at the min, suits me as I sleep better on my own

heathermcbreen

Posted - 09 May 2017 : 10:07:44 PM my boy is about 50km north of auckland north island. He went on his own but he is working with a team of arborists so hopefully will pal up with them. I know exactly what you mean about going away... my husbands always moaning that we cant go anywhere ...

sab2

Posted - 09 May 2017 : 7:30:19 PM He's on the North Island as that's where his job is. Never been as I will not leave all the animals, it's Percy that's the hard one with his Addison's disease, he gets quite stressed and I would never forgive myself if anything happened to him while I was away. He sends me loads of photos and it really is beautiful. I am sure your son will ha e a great time, has he gone alone or with friends, my son went with friends but sadly they had to come home when the time was up as they were not needed over there. The only thing he dose not like are the earthquakes, the one to hit Wellington a few years back was awful he said, they had to crouch under their desks in the office till it passed. He has a fab time, they have jet skis and scrambler bikes and go off on adventures on them

heathermcbreen

Posted - 08 May 2017 : 10:57:03 PM My son is a tree surgeon, it would not surprise me at all if he did the same as your boy. I can see the appeal... a country the size of uk but with only 10% of the population. Is your son on North or South Island ?? have you been over there yourself ??

sab2

Posted - 08 May 2017 : 4:13:45 PM Heathermcbreen my son went to NZ a few years ago for a year and never came back, well he has been back a few times for holidays but he liked it so much he now lives there. He loves it there and has a great lifestyle and job opportunities for him have been been far better there than they would of over here.

heathermcbreen

Posted - 08 May 2017 : 1:21:37 PM I got mine back on the 26th april... same day as my son left to work in NZ for a year... so sort of sweet and sour at the same time..... And, a few days ago, for the first time in 15 years, my husband heard a cuckoo... but i was at work that day ... and we have not heard it since.....

sab2

Posted - 20 Apr 2017 : 12:58:52 PM Another pair arrived last night, it's lovely having them back #128512; The stables were so quiet over winter, now all you can hear is them chattering away.